Sunsettes are a Tampa-based duo specializing in funk-tinged indie-rock. Comprised of Nathan Kozyra and Michael Schlein, Sunsettes quietly released their debut Coup de Grace last December. Their compositions are frequently led by acoustics and keys, with Kozyra assuming a vocal delivery incorporating both stream-of-conscious narratives and straightforward romantic metaphors. Although the instrumental arsenal is mainly limited to guitars, keys, and percussion, several songs venture beyond. The inclusions of brass on “Ease In” go well with the vocal climax slightly after the two-minute mark, while the tropical-sounding “Get It” is guided by quick guitar swipes and jumpy keys that resemble the sounds of a marimba.

The dependence on keys in several songs also lends to some interesting stylistic ventures. “Foolish Devotion” resembles swampy jazz and R&B with its lush piano melody and whiskey-aided murmur; you could picture this being played in a modern speakeasy. The burst of brass at around the 01:18 mark is somewhat surprising for its soaring optimism, but it cohesively fits into place once the track showcases the remaining verses with an extra added percussive kick. The key-heavy tone is also prominent on “Parallel Lines”. This one is a loving duet, with a sharp contrast between high-pitched excitement and deep nonchalance. There is a fascinating orchestral transition, complete with strings and fascinating reverb effects, around the two-minute mark. From that point, the track flexes its muscles between the somber piano ballad and screeching electric guitars. Is it a bit messy? Sure. But that’s part of its DIY appeal.

A prominent standout is “If We Talk”, the best example of the duo’s hook-laden songwriting ability. The twangy guitar lead is front-and-center with softly twinkling keys echoing over angelic female harmonizing. Kozyra and Schlein’s lyrics are best in these instances, describing relatable instances of a modern romance with sharp wit and humor. “I turn around and you’re right there waiting, just give me time and I’ll be alright,” he sings over the smattering of guitar progressions. The outstanding bridge at the song’s mid-point is beautifully incorporated, featuring heavily emotive vocals that are contrast to the usual nonchalance throughout the album, like on the excellent “My, Oh My”, which resembles a fusion of Destroyer and The Mountain Goats in the most complementary way possible.

Coup de Grace is available as a free download on the band’s Bandcamp. It’s highly recommended for any fan of infectious indie-rock. And as simple as that sounds, there is plenty of innovation to be found on this album. Plus, Kozyra is currently working on material more reminiscent of late ’70s soul, funk, and R&B. Considering the potential showcased on Coup de Grace, it would be prudent to keep an eye on both Kozyra and Schlein.

RIYL: Destroyer, The Mountain Goats, The National, The New Pornographers, Silver Jews, Blackout Beach, The Wrens, Okkervil River, Beulah, The Apples in Stereo, Guided by Voices

Sunsettes – If We Talk

Sunsettes – My, Oh My

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The post Setting Sunsettes appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

by Jay Mattson

About nine years ago, it became extremely uncool to like Fleetwood Mac. This pop/rock/soul band created some of the most emotional, daring, bold music in decades. Unfortunately, the Dixie Chicks ruined everything. They released a god-awful cover of “Landslide” and turned a whole generation off to Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks’ amazing songwriting. I never stopped liking Fleetwood and Company. I just learned how to hide it from my judgmental music-nerd friends who castrated you for listening to the Mars Volta instead of At the Drive-In.

Fortunately, bands like The Belle Brigade are bringing back male/female duet work that isn’t strictly folk, which is a real breath of fresh air. The duo’s debut album, in stores on April 19th, channels the Fleetwood/Nicks work we heard on albums like Rumours or 1975’s Fleetwood Mac. The first single and track on their eponymous debut is “Sweet Louise”, a jangly and lighthearted folk-pop romp that’s delicate on the electric elements while still retaining an excellent range of harmonious vocals. It does a great job of selling their strengths.

Evidence of their ’70s influence comes on the piano-laden track “Where Not to Look for Freedom”. Enjoyably, it’s filled with electric guitar work that permeates like Lindsey Buckingham’s idiosyncratic sound. The lyrical content contains nothing very meaningful, but it still adds to The Belle Brigade’s charm; they can make minimal lyricism sound larger than life.

“Losers” stands as one of the most emotionally-driven tracks on the album. But like the first few tracks before it, lyrical content isn’t strong but the passion exuded by this brother and sister duo is so genuinely ardent that it completely pulls you in. As they sing about their low points, you can hear the longing behind their voices, the depression setting in that sets up the mood for the song. And while this is all just performance, and not perhaps real emotion, the performance is phenomenal due to the enjoyable fusing of counterpoint emotions.

The next track is almost eerily similar to “Go Your Own Way”, not in the sense of it sounding plagiarized (like Fleet Foxes’ “Mykonos”), but more of the general theme and movement of the track. This is one of Belle Brigade’s greatest strengths; they sound much bigger than they are, which sounds incredible on album and probably sounds even better live. Further evidence can be seen on “Lonely Lonely”, a song influenced by The New Pornographers. Prominent female vocals with intermittent male backup reflects Neko Case and A.C. Newman on any Pornographers album. “My goodness is a tumbleweed, blown away from me,” is one of the simple metaphors used on “My Goodness”, a light yet disturbingly deep track about failure and eliciting disappointment from others.

The Belle Brigade’s debut album is very, very good. While each song is musically proficient and technically sound, some of the later tracks begin to feel uniform and blank. It’s almost like the duo wanted to make something crazier, but then pulled back the reins a bit. It doesn’t make sense, considering the first half of The Belle Brigade is pure sonic joy. This Belle Brigade are good, but the splintered nature of this album shows they have some growth to make. I’m excited to see that growth with subsequent releases.

The Belle Brigade – Sweet Louise
The Belle Brigade – Losers

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The post The Belle Brigade – The Belle Brigade (2011) appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Regular readers know this by now: the aim of Obscure Sound is to expose quality artists that, for whatever reason, have yet to achieve substantial recognition despite their excellent material and prevalent talent. I believe that the music blogosphere has a positive effect on a music industry currently plagued by a money-first ideology that results in bland, repetitive, and uninspiring material. Sites like ours hope to showcase quality music that defies this. Every single site like this – ranging from amateur Blogspots to fully-staffed machines – has the potential to show someone their new favorite band, something they may carry throughout their entire life. Unlike the actual music industry, this is not a very competitive atmosphere. Many bloggers become friends and even business partners, all knowing that there is an excess of under-exposed quality in music that no single site can cover in full. Naturally, when I am presented with a project that aligns with my ideology and that of my music-oriented friends and readers, it is always worth looking into.

I have been working alongside a very promising company the past month or so that promotes the same vision that I do. While Obscure Sound helps the sales of aspiring independent artists through exposure, this particular project is even more direct in doing so. The aim of Groopease is to promote the work of overlooked and aspiring independent artists with worthwhile material, just like Obscure Sound. The fascinating thing about their route is that they work with the artists directly to offer an exclusively discounted rate on their material, in a format similar to Groupon. This pertains to the artist’s actual releases, and in the future may extend to merchandise and tickets. For all of you that just download the material for free knowing that iTunes and management would take the bulk of profit regardless, Groopease is an excellent alternative that re-routes the proceeds to more deserving ends: charity and the artists. The digital age has made it very difficult for independent artists to support themselves, mainly because listeners are strapped for cash themselves and deem it wasteful to give their hard-earned money to big companies. After all, it is so easy to obtain full-length albums for free via file sharing, so why not do just that?

Easily one of the most rewarding things for me is viewing this site’s Amazon Associates account to see which artists we have legitimately helped out. Seeing that this review alone sold 70 copies of Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs was cool, but they’re already quite popular so it’s hard to say we did much. Most of those buyers already knew who Arcade Fire were, and simply happened to buy it via the review since it was convenient to do so. That doesn’t mean much to me. It’s actually rewarding when this site sells a handful of copies of a legitimately independent album, from a band that probably has a day-job in addition to their artistic work. The fact that this site sold ten copies of Kinetic Stereokids’ excellent album Kid Moves is a lot more rewarding to me than any number of Arcade Fire albums. That makes me feel great, like we’re making a difference (albeit a small one), and is honestly the reason I will continue to do this for as long as possible.

Speaking with those in charge of Groopease, it’s clear that they get a similar sense of satisfaction from allowing truly talented independent artists to simultaneously achieve recognition and profit for their work. To make it even better, they donate a portion of the album’s proceeds to a charity. For example, you can purchase the new album from yesterday’s featured band The Filthy Violets for only $5, a whopping 50% discount from anywhere else. 5% of those sales are donated to The Empower Nepali Girls Foundation, which provides educational scholarships to neglected children of Nepal. There are several bands and charities per week. Like this site, they feature several artists per week that are pretty much unheard of. In doing so, they have already introduced me to some great new stuff! The first is a band called The Salvadors. Groopease is invitation-only, but do not fear. As a reader of this site, you get a free invite by clicking here. Feel free to tell your friends to join as well; you get $1 in Groopease credit per invite. So invite five, and you can essentially get the album for free AND support the artist! It’s an awesome program for all parties.

On to the first Groopease band that really caught my attention: The Salvadors. The Australian five-piece craft a beautiful form of indie-pop that takes enjoyable cues Afro-pop/beat. Rolling Stone and Australian radio station Triple J have already flagged The Salvadors as one of the most promising acts from Australia. But before you group them in with Vampire Weekend and the countless number of imitations, take a listen to their new album Misspent Youth. Featuring eight tracks with expansively buoyant choruses, sugary male-female harmonizing, and slick Afro-beat guitar constructions. Their music video for the excellent “Wilson” is quite effective in capturing the visions that their sound ignites; a carefree day in the sun, with your biggest worry being if your best friend catches a bigger fish than you. Catch a bunch of them for dinner, and then ride home in a pick-up as the summer breeze blows against your body. And there isn’t a cold chill in the air! Ah, many of us desperately need that feeling right about now. Just a few more months!

The Salvadors are more reminiscent of Little Joy and Surfer Blood than Vampire Weekend. There are some relaxed Latin influences in addition to the Afro-beat, but one can also expect familiar indie-pop in the sugary hook-filled vein of The New Pornographers and Mates of State. Misspent Youth is actually superior to either of those group’s most recent release. This is a debut that should give The Salvadors some international acclaim in addition to the pre-existing buzz in their native Australia. Songs destined for the charts include the exuberant “Wilson” and the soft jangly appeal of “Westfield”. Shimmering indie-pop is not the only flavor on here though. Delicate folk is echoed in “Miss Munroe”, with swaying acoustics and a slight touch of keys. The hushed use of strings during one verse is complete with a male-female duet, beautifully interwoven as the beautiful melody forms completely. There actually isn’t a weak track on the entire album.

Misspent Youth is highly recommended, and for ONLY $3 on Groopease is an absolute steal. Just join for free and give it a go.

RIYL: Little Joy, Surfer Blood, The Morning Benders, Vampire Weekend, Elbow, The New Pornographers, Mates of State, British Sea Power, Suede, Yeasayer, Arcade Fire, Los Hermanos, Marcelo Camelo, The Strokes, Mallu Magalhães

The Salvadors – Westfield

The Salvadors – Wilson

The Salvadors – Eliza Jane

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My anticipation for Magenta Skycode’s second album, Relief, has been building for years now. The Finnish group was one of the first featured artists in the history of this site, and in my first “Top Albums of the Year” feature I lauded it as being the best debut from that year, 2006. There were few indie-pop debuts as memorable. A few weeks ago I also called IIIII an ideal album for autumn, emphasizing a variety of colorful and vibrant sounds mainly elicited from twinkling keyboards and jangly guitars. The album’s diverse set of moods was another reason, with anthemic builders like “People” and “Luvher Oh Hater” expressing optimistic glee and more retrospective gems like “Go Outside Again” showing some catchy melodrama with a touch of bitterness. With handclap-led percussion, soothing airy vocals, and utterly beautiful guitar/keyboard progressions, it was not hard to fall in love with IIIII and the variety of sounds on it.

The mood on Relief is more consistent than the merry-go-round of emotions on IIIII. The group appears more focused in this sense, even if it sacrifices some ambition in the process. The flurries of buoyant twinkling keys and acoustic guitars – reminiscent in several ways of both post-punk and indie-rock – are still present, but they are sugary and more accessible than before. Instead of bringing to mind innovative crafters of pop hooks like The Cure or Paul Simon, Relief offers a more by-the-book indie-rock approach that brings to mind acts like The Shins, Delays, or The Brother Kite. All respectable acts, for sure, but their deliveries become increasingly grating due to the linearity and sameness of their work. The songs on Relief tend to be more elementary than the anthemic build-ups on IIIII. Whereas a track like “Red Eyes” would evolve cohesively from a Kraftwerkian series of whirring synths and illuminating pads into contagious post-punk riffs, the tracks on Relief appear content in staying true to the style it begins in.

Sentiments of easy-listening are more in focus than ambition, which in the world of pop is not exactly an ideology to criticize. But when one is capable of the accomplishments on IIIII, the over-simplification of strengths is a detrimental endeavor. The faults of Relief are quite simple: the band do not permit their songs the proper expansion and improvisation as before and, quite simply, they do not rock hard enough. There is little on here resembling the dark, moody turns of “Compassion” – with its quick guitar swipes and excitable fervor – or the mercurial build-up in the gleeful “Luvher Oh Hater”. The intended stand-outs on Relief seem dumbed-down and forced, like “The Simple Pleasures” which is driven by a monotonous key progression that depends entirely on a nasally falsetto to allow the hook to soar. The highlights on IIIII had emotive vocal performances like this, but the track’s strength was not dependent on them like it is here.

The simplified dullness of “The Simple Pleasures” finds brethren in “King of Abstract Painters”, a tedious track that has some truly irritating vocal passages that remove any mystique the band is capable of. The repetitive riffs and complementary keys are, once again, dependent on the vocals’ capacity to raise pitch and trigger emotion. The music is incredibly bland. Most of the efforts on IIIII were majestic enough to be memorable as instrumentals, and this over-reliance on vocals reminds me too much of bands like Vampire Weekend and Delays that force listeners to rely on the so-called exuberance of vocals, rather than the resourceful musical progression of a work. Perhaps I would not be so critical on this over-reliance if Magenta Skycode had not already showed the opposite in their previous material. It appears being criminally overlooked may have caused some desperation to appear in the band’s songwriting.

Bland efforts like “The Simple Pleasures” and “Kipling” are actually grouped together for the listener’s benefit, as several efforts on the latter half of Relief are significantly improved from the first. “Montag” is excellent; its piano crescendos and sweeping flourishes of strings remind me of vintage Brit-pop in the vein of Pulp’s “This Is Hardcore”. Finally, we are greeted with a track that is not fearful of the stylistic dexterity Magenta Skycode already showed mastery of on IIIII. We find a slight psychedelic alteration about 3.5 minutes in, where an anxious piano progression supplements lyrical yearning for a lover’s return. The howling vocals resonate wonderfully in the closing verses, finding the perfect intermediary between excellent instrumental prowess and apt vocal implementations.

“Night Falls on the Rifle” is more of what Magenta Skycode do wonderfully. It makes a stunning transition from an arsenal of percussion and keys into one with bells, roaring guitars riffs, and eventually a slick guitar riff that brings post-punk influences into play. As the band repeats the song’s title, fans of IIIII may think they are listening to the debut again. This packs the same darkly anthemic punch that the epic gems on IIIII do, and it is certainly one of the best efforts on Relief. The subsequent “Sometimes” is delightful enough, as it neither overpowers nor dominates, but still has the same problem of repetition that efforts like “The Simple Pleasures” and “Kipling” do. The riffs sound tastefully dainty, yes, and the vocals soar with enthusiastic glee, indeed. But that does not prevent it from overstaying its welcome. It is literally not until nearly a minute left that “Sometimes” actually shows the strength of the band’s songwriting, when actual variation occurs.

It is not a surprise that length is usually a qualitative indicator of a Magenta Skycode song on Relief. Longer songs – like “Night Falls on the Rifle” and “Montag” – are stunning and sweeping, with little to no fault found in their gorgeous arrangements and memorable hooks. Shorter ones, on the other hand, seem to lack ideas and progression for the sake of sounding sugary and accessible. This is a bit odd considering some highlights on IIIII, like “People” and “Luvher Oh Hater”, were under four minutes and still exceptional. As I said though, frustration is bound to occur when a band as talented as Magenta Skycode goes generally unnoticed. The result is an album with the doses of ambition that made IIIII one of the best indie-pop debuts of the decade, but more sparingly so in favor of desperation for radio-friendly dullness like “The Simple Pleasures”. Efforts like that are not atrocious, but mediocre. And for the exceptional Magenta Skycode, who show their flashes of brilliance most prominently through epics, this is disappointing. Relief is a good indie-pop album with its share of highlights, but die-hard fans of IIIII will be let down, even if it is understandably difficult to follow up such an amazing debut.

7.5/10.0

RIYL: The Cure, The Shins, Paul Simon, Jens Lekman, The Brother Kite, Liekki, Viola, Risto, Regina, Broken Bells, Vampire Weekend, Rogue Wave, Belle and Sebastian, Field Music, The New Pornographers, Spoon

Magenta Skycode – Night Falls on the Rifle

Magenta Skycode – Montag

Magenta Skycode – The Simple Pleasures

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by Taylor DeBoer

If Funeral was the personal homage to life, love, and loss, as Neon Bible was a straight shot at the gut of political immoral corruption, then Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs is merely a simple acknowledgment of the two concepts. Not to mention, the powerful realization that “we can’t run from our upbringing”, especially when two-story brick houses and shopping malls stand in our way. And as Win Butler and company convey on their third album, each new generation is engulfed in a more brutal “suburban war.” With so much indie cred on the line, Arcade Fire delivers once again with their longest, most expansive album yet.

The Suburbs starts appropriately, with a title track that works as both a contrived summary and introduction to the fifteen songs that follow. Although not the strongest of the album, it serves its purpose. It then rolls into “Ready to Start”, which is a typical bombastic collective of Arcade Fire proportions, a jump-the-gun type of song. “Modern Man” in my opinion is where the beauty and originality of the album starts. With lyrics that strike the heart wires of Bowie fans, it questions what to some might be obvious, but to many is obscure–is the modern world in a productive progression?

Then comes the poppy “Rococo”, which appears to jab at the youth and their obsession with trend. In this case, a “terrible” song that has an infectious chorus. You can’t help but sing along to Butler’s quivering voice as he repeats “rococo” over and over. Blasting into “Empty Room” Butler has help on vocals from his wife Régine Chassagne. The shorter, but poignant song works as a nice easy transition into the New Wave sound of “City with No Children.” The nostalgic lyrics prove that Butler and crew have spent time listening to the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young, if that wasn’t already obvious. “Half Light I’s” slow build and Chassagne’s lofty voice creates a circus-like environment reminiscent of Funeral. Its dream like nature is once again a perfect pace-changer for the album. Their ability to keep the audience constantly interested and guessing is impressive.

Through the sad and desperate pace of “Half Light II”, we see a more personal Butler as he references his personal life with his wife, Regina, as well as his childhood. It has an Americana feel once again, which adds a unique tinge to the American perspective coming from a predominately Canadian band. The ending phrase, “one day they’ll see, it’s long gone,” rings through the brain long after the song ends.

“Suburban War” continues with the same melancholy style of “Half Light II”, but with a choppier composition. “They say the past won’t rest until you jump the fence and leave it behind,” Butler calmly sings. More than their first two albums, Arcade Fire are offering some solutions to the problems they address. “Month of May” is perhaps the only song that could fit on Neon Bible, their slightly less popular sophomore album, and would be a fitting opening to an Arcade Fire show.

“Wasted Hours” and “Deep Blue” return to the somber pace but only for a moment, then we’re hit with the slow but powerful build of “We Used to Wait.” “By the time we met, the times had already changed,” Butler sings.

“Sprawl I and II” help add to the lonely feeling of realizing that the things you used to recognize have changed dramatically. The saddened musical melody of “Sprawl I” makes it hard to not feel hopeless until the very end when Butler manages to bring it all back and inject us with just a bit of hope once again.

The trippy feel of “Sprawl II”  compliments the somberness of part I. We are once again graced with Chassagne’s voice. Comparing shopping malls and urban development to mountains is not only gut-wrenching but incredibly accurate. The extended metaphor can get grating, but most of the time it works.

The final song, “The Suburbs (continued)”  is in the same tone as “The Suburbs” but with Butler stretching his voice to an even higher falsetto. It’s a fitting end to a masterpiece, and may even be more satisfying than the initial creation.

Yeah sure, The Suburbs is filled with a lot of reoccurring words like “kids, houses, streets, and suburbs”. But instead of writing them off as cliche and unoriginal, consider the weight behind these words. The Suburbs is an analysis, a call to action, and a homage to the topsy-turvy, suburban world we live in. Few artists have been able to reach out to the youth in such an infectious way. Their songs are dark, dreamy, nostalgic, religious, extremely powerful, but oddly hopeful and their shows are the same way. And they manage to do it all on an indie label and without the aide of digital recording. But even Butler knows that resisting the world that plagues us is impossible. At the very least, we have The Suburbs to celebrate over.

You can download it here for a ridiculous $3.99.

8.0/10.0

RIYL: Broken Social Scene, Bruce Springsteen, The National, Wolf Parade, Tokyo Police Club, Neutral Milk Hotel, Modest Mouse, The Shins, Spoon, Band of Horses, The New Pornographers, My Morning Jacket, TV on the Radio, Cold War Kids, Stars, Radiohead, David Bowie, The Antlers, The Walkmen, Editors, Pavement, Yeasayer, Built to Spill

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Arcade Fire – Rococo

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Arcade Fire – Ready to Start

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Pop music formed by ’60s girl groups are often subjected to ancient stereotypes. Joyous harmonies, lyrics consisting of nothing more than multiply layered “doo-wop-da-doo-wop”s, and a subtle sway of the hips for sex appeal (or the most of what was allowed of it on TV at the time). While much of what was considered “mainstream” at the time did confine to these characteristics, left-field girl-groups like The Shangri-Las expelled emotions with somewhat of risk through the inclusion of thematically appropriate music without regard for radio popularity. Contrary to the bouncy fanfare of rock hits or the romanticized demeanor of ballads on the radio, several decided to pursue artistic expression without regard for what the general public was seeking: talented women producing a brand of pleasantly engaging pop that fit nicely next to the works of contemporary pop from The Beatles, The Zombies, and other then-bustling British invasion bands.

The Shangri-Las’ devastating “Past, Present and Future”, which has been covered with adoration by Jens Lekman, details the abandonment of love’s pursuit after the ending of a first relationship. The theme is common today and even with rock groups at the time, but the way The Shangri-las delivered this song with its gritty first-person narrative, somber touch of strings and keys, and utter disregard for radio-friendly structural optimism was entirely unique for groups of their vein at the time. It felt realer than anything else on the radio at the time, and simply listening to it will make one understand how Jens Lekman moved the audience to tears after his rendition of it. Referring to the fate-dependent fortune of love, the song ends with a gloomy “I don’t think it will ever happen again” before abruptly concluding. Sure, any artist can be rebellious in regard to attaining commercialized exposure, but few can take as many risks and succeed as often as The Shangri-Las did.

The Secret History is a stylish trio from New York City, one that deals in an interesting fusion of girl-group pop and glam-rock that combines the subtle emotional rawness and prevalent capriciousness of each respective genre. The former is labeled as one with a history of restraint, categorized both by gender treatment and a time that was more conservative than today. Glam, on the other hand, is one of the more prominent forms of artistic expression that truly had no boundaries. It took place in a period of cultural reprieve, in the ’70s and ’80s when the baby boomers of the ’60s had grown accustomed to more flexible treatment of previously “inappropriate” aspects of media. To find both of these periods and genres collide is certainly interesting, and I applaud The Secret History for producing a sound that is both infectiously over-the-top and emotionally representative; it does both movements justice.

In the spirit of the World Cup, the intro to the anthemic “Johnny Anorak” sounds no different than a frenzied pub at kick-off. Appropriately enough, as the song lacks nothing in terms of achieving its expectations as a pulsating opener. The pulsating guitars and vigorous percussion in the early goings suggest the looming presence of a domineering voice, one that disproportionately and disappointingly steals the spotlight from the music. Lisa Ronson, the daughter of glam legend Mick Ronson, prevents this from happening with her utterly perfect voice, at least for the style of music her band is attempting. Her lack of submissiveness to predictable melodic patterns excludes her from typical girl-group comparisons, but her harmonic capabilities and stylistically aligning pitch make the presence more girl-pop than glam-rock. This is a very fortunate twist, as it is what truly creates the cohesiveness within the relationship between glam-rock and girl-group pop for The Secret History.

The instrumentation in most of their songs is definitely more on the glam-rock side, recalling specifically the earlier work of Manic Street Preachers in their simultaneously catchy and thought-provoking mixture of glam and alt-rock. Ronson has more of a Morrissey-like deepness vibrato in “Death Mods”, going as far to echo his overly dramatic delivery in the lyrics. “Life is hard but death is harder,” she sings seemingly tongue-in-cheek, “So I took up with an underage martyr.” Then she speaks of children killing the babysitter and, well, the effort is entertaining at the very least. Not exactly in the vein of the immediately accessible “Johnny Anorak” or “Our Lady of Stalingrad”, but it will have its fans. This track could perhaps earn them an opening slot for Morrissey, though honestly at this point after the release of their excellent second album The World That Never Was they are destined for greater things. Their music is polished and insanely addictive, all while avoiding the generic production tendencies of modern indie-rock.

RIYL: My Favorite, Cats on Fire, The Aislers Set, Les Savy Fav, Sambassadeur, Gigi, The Lodger, David Bowie, The Shangri-Las, The Mynabirds, Another Sunny Day, The Orchids, The Indelicates, The Field Mice, Beulah, Language of Flowers, Rose Melberg, Stars, The Long Blondes, The New Pornographers, Comet Gain, Saturday Looks Good to Me

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The Secret History – Our Lady of Stalingrad

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The Secret History – Johnny Anorak

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The Secret History – Death Mods

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by Lauren Tischler

“Fame has so many bad sides,” say the girls of new Sweden obsession First Aid Kit. “Fame is a very complex thing and our view on it is double. Fame is crucial to be able to make a living as a musician, which is our primary goal. However, we strive to get our music known, not us as people.” Even if fame wasn’t the primary objective, Klara & Johanna Söderberg, only 17 and 19, have been hit hard with it. First Aid Kit had its start in 2008, when the band decided to record a cover of Fleet Foxes ballad “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song”. Receiving a massive amount of attention in their hometown of Stockholm, Sweden, the music industry took First Aid Kit under its belt and, within a short amount of time, their first EP, Drunken Trees, was released under Rabid Records. Later in the year, UK label Wichita Records (The Cribs, Bloc Party) released the EP, sparking the worldwide folk phenomenon we now know as First Aid Kit.

“We had really great childhoods. We felt safe and loved and there’s not much more you can ask for,” the girls explain, reflecting on their beginnings in Sweden. “We have such a wonderful family, that’s the truth. We’ve always lived very close to nature. Our parents used to force us out on long walks through the forests,” they laugh. “There was always music around. It was an overall creative environment. Our parents were always encouraging us, whether we were singing, painting or writing stories.” The girls started playing music and writing songs in 2007 and “were discovered through Myspace,” say First Aid Kit on their breakthrough. “About a month after we put up our demos, various people in the Swedish music industry wrote us. I think the fact that I added about 200 people every day for a month might have helped.”

The Big Black & the Blue is First Aid Kit’s harmony-infested debut album. The full-length release, which came out in March 2010, features 11 brilliant original pieces, including “Josefin” and “Sailor Song.” “It’s very spontaneous,” the girls say regarding their songwriting process. “We can’t predict when a new song will pop up and we can’t force one out. There is no set song writing procedure. Sometimes Klara writes songs entirely on her own and sometimes we finish off songs together,” pipes in Johanna. “We never seek inspiration if we find it hard to write something, we can’t force anything out. We let the inspiration come to us. What we are inspired by is other music, films, books our friends and family – the world around us.”

Listening to First Aid Kit is like reading a chapter of a treasured novel. The music is very visual, conjuring up countless soft images. “Our lyrics are both autobiographical and fictional,” they say. “It always starts with us wanting to get some kind of emotion, mood, through to the listener. This mood or emotion could arrive either from other music or from our own experiences.” The songs, while very diverse, all have the same underlying spell of harmony and folklore. “Joanna Newsom, Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons,” Johanna and Klara say when asked about their folk influences. They continue with, “Bright Eyes of course, Carter Family, Vashti Bunyan, Karen Dalton, Louvin Brothers, Townes Van Zandt, Simon and Garfunkel… there are so many musicians and we would like to thank them all so much for the beauty they’ve created, but that list would be a little too long.”

Johanna and Klara Söderberg have to make sure to maintain a healthy balance between their lives as young adults and their lives as musicians. Though it may sound easy, it is not as simple as it seems, especially since the girls have just begun a worldwide tour. First Aid Kit explains a typical day in the life: “Wake up, get in car, breakfast at fast food chain on the road (or at hotel), arrive at venue, sound check, dinner (sushi or Indian food,) show, sell merchandise, sleep at hotel.” As you could imagine, their days are as filled amply with beautiful music. “Fionn Regan’s “Put a Penny in the Slot” is high up in our iTunes playlist. Simon & Garfunkel’s “Kathy’s Song” is as well.” Though they maintain a busy schedule, there are no regrets. “We will promise to sing and play our hearts out. There will be some bad jokes and a great deal of harmonizing,” they say when asked why fans should attend their upcoming shows. Johanna and Klara are particularly delighted regarding this summer, when they will travel to play their music in the US. “In the US some people see us as exotic and interesting because we are Swedish and that phenomenon definitively does not exist at home,” Johanna notices about how the US has perceived their music. “Our lyrics are in English so it’s possible that an English speaker receives it differently. We try not to think about how we are being received; it only gets in the way of your true potential as a musician.”

So with a massive following and an album full of gorgeous tunes, First Aid Kit continue their journey through the musical world. What should we expect next from these first-rate folk lords? “Next is a bunch of festival shows, more touring and working on new material. We are really excited about doing another album, though there is a long way to go until we’re there.” As their MySpace tagline states; “We aim for the hearts, not the charts!” So open your hearts up to First Aid Kit, and they promise to deliver sweet melodies that will make you love them after the first listen.

RIYL: Laura Marling, Taken by Trees, Fleet Foxes, Marissa Nadler, Neko Case, The New Pornographers, The Tallest Man on Earth, Slow Club, Hello Saferide, jj, Basia Bulat, Fleet Foxes, Jenny Wilson, Fionn Regan, Anna Järvinen, Laura Veirs, Frida Hyvönen, Sambassadeur, El Perro del Mar, Håkan Hellström, The Leisure Society

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First Aid Kit – Hard Believer

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First Aid Kit – You’re Not Coming Home Tonight

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First Aid Kit – Cross Oceans

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Official Site

MySpace

BUY

The post Interview with First Aid Kit appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

In addition to the abundance of different genres featured below, the past month offered plenty of diverse opinion. It has originated mainly from four of the site’s contributors, who featured 9 of the 12 acts below. Reading their articles has been a treat for me as well. Lots of great material there. I was not able to do much beyond editing work in May, mainly due to a bombardment of papers and finals that put me in a zombie-like state for two weeks. But during that hiatus, these fine writers exposed some great material from both familiar and recognizable artists. This compilation is an attempt to bring these artists together. As far as diverse content goes, I will also look to continue the increase in interviews, since they seem to be getting a good response. I appreciate The New Pornographers, The Rassle, and The Very Best for taking time out of their busy schedules, and I thank Lauren Tischler for her dedicated interviewing. Thanks to Lauren, Jay Mattson, Colleen Seidel, and Jon Chapple for their excellent contributions this month. In the comments below, feel free to suggest bands you would like to see interviewed, or any suggestions at all. Enjoy.

01.  The New Pornographers – Crash Years (post)
02. Band of Horses – Factory (post)
03. Wolf Parade – Ghost Pressure (post)
04. The Very Best – Warm Heart of Africa (feat. Ezra Koenig) (post)
05. The Rassle – Wild Ones (post)
06. Gauntlet Hair – I Was Thinking… (post)
07. The Black Keys – Tighten Up (post)
08. Tokyo Police Club – Breakneck Speed (post)
09. Yours Truly – She Taps for Tips (post)
10. Crystal Castles – Doe Deer (post)
11. Jóhann Jóhannsson – Theme (post)
12. Courier News – Empty Clouds (post)

DOWNLOAD ENTIRE COMPILATION>>> (58.3 MB, .RAR)

The post Obscure Sound: Best of May 2010 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

by Jay Mattson

There have been a lot of great albums this year, and it’s only May.  Accordingly, from those albums have come some great songs:

“Ambling Alp“

Yeasayer

Odd Blood

Technically, this track was released as a single in 2009, but Odd Blood was indeed a 2010 release and “Ambling Alp” was the seminal track that brought Yeasayer out of indie rock obscurity and into the sights of a much larger audience.  This track’s upbeat melodies, uplifting lyrics and all-around excitement inspired three incredible remixes (by DJ/Rupture, Memory Tapes and The Very Best), a week of repeated listens on my iPod and dance party inclusions.  It’s hands down the best track from Odd Blood and continues to make me want to dance every time I hear it.

Review>>>

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“Crash Years”

The New Pornographers

Together

Though this album just came out at the beginning of May, “Crash Years” was all over the internet weeks prior to the release.  Like “Ambling Alp”, this track is one of the finest on Together, the return-to-form album for Canadian rockers The New Pornographers.  Putting Neko Case on lead vocals was a smart choice, as her powerful style fits this song perfectly.  Whistling (a New Porno’s staple) makes a prominent appearance along with a Mass Romantic-feeling melody with an insanely catchy chorus that brings the exhilaration of the New Pornographers to a level of tempered energy that translates to excellent listening.

Interview>>>

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“Compliments”

Band of Horses

Infinite Arms

Waiting for a new Band of Horses album has been one of those things that brings indie kids together.  Their last album, Cease to Begin, came out way back when in 2007 and they’ve been touring (seemingly) non-stop since then.  And though I’ve wanted a new album for a while, it was still surprising to hear that there was one coming.  I got the news by watching the video for “Compliments” and being blown away.  It starts out slow enough, but at the 20 second mark, Ben Birdwell and company crash into a bigger sound than Band of Horses has ever expressed.  Some were taken aback by the outright rock feel to “Compliments”. But to me, it felt right. It felt natural for them to progress to a level of energy rarely seen before.

Review>>>

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“Tighten Up”

The Black Keys

Brothers

I love The Black Keys.  Thickfreakness (2003) might be one of my favorite albums ever.  But I wasn’t totally impressed with Brothers.  The change of pace from full-blown, raucous blues rock to down-tempo, sultry blues rock was, at least for me, disappointing.  I love the energy, the gritty, unabashed rock that Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney can deliver.  That being said, “Tighten Up” is one of the more energetic songs on Brothers, and for that I enjoyed it wholeheartedly.  It’s still not on the same level as Thickfreakness or Rubber Factory, but it highlights Carney’s drum work better than many other tracks on this album.

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“Doe Deer”

Crystal Castles

Crystal Castles (II)

I still miss Death From Above 1979.  Until I heard “Doe Deer”, no band had come even close to reproducing DFA1979’s penchant for loud, ridiculously perceptive dance-rock.  Even at 1:38, “Doe Deer” is one monstrous song, blaring forth with a force reminiscent of Jesse Keeler and Sebastian Grainger’s defunct project.  Akin to “Pull Out”s length and energy, “Doe Deer” attacks the senses, but in a good way.  While the rest of Crystal Castles (II) takes it’s points from the duo’s first album, “Doe Deer” stands out as an abrasive, rebellious track amongst a group of songs that are simply more evolved versions of tracks we heard in 2008.  Let me clarify by stating that this fact is, by no means, a bad thing.  Both Crystal Castles albums have been phenomenal and (their personal behavior aside), this duo understands how to make infectious music and they do it so, so well.

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“Alone on the Pier (with Rose Melberg)”

Gigi

Maintenant

One of my favorite new acts of 2010, Gigi released a magnificent album of late-60s inspired songs that feel nostalgic without sounding pretentious.  It’s a hard medium to achieve, but Gigi has done so with sophistication, excellent production and a slew of great guest vocalists.  While many of the tracks from Maintenant are list-worthy, “Alone on the Pier” stands out with poignant back-up vocals and unexpected lyrics about heartache coupled with an infectiously upbeat melody.

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“Tom Cruz”

Plants and Animals

La La Land

One of the more overlooked bands from the past few years, Plants and Animals have carved out a niche sound that’s vaguely reminiscent of the Polyphonic Spree; there are fluttery vocals, sweeping big band-esque melodies toned to stoner wavelengthsm and lighthearted lyrics.  With the release of their sophomore album, La La Land, Plants and Animals find themselves delving into experimental territory, which for them sometimes sounds more tuned to rock-inspired tendencies.  Case in point: “Tom Cruz” utilizes the electric guitar better than almost any other song they’ve released thus far.

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“Scissor”

Liars

Sisterworld

Like tip-toeing through a minefield, “Scissor” opens Liars’ newest album, Sisterworld, with haunting precision.  After a suspenseful few moments, “Scissor” blasts forth with all the force we’ve come to expect from Liars.  But unlike many earlier tracks, “Scissor” has a unique semblance that gives it form where there was none before.  “Scissor” slips from fury to patience and back and forth so eloquently, it’s like moving into the eye of a storm and back out again.  One of the most delightfully chaotic tracks Liars has ever produced.

The post Jay’s Favorite Tracks of 2010 (So Far) appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

by Jay Mattson

I’ve always had a soft spot for Canadian bands, so when I was presented with Fixtures, the new EP by Canadian duo Courier News, I was anxious to listen. Courier News is a collaboration between Juno Award-winning songwriter Alexa Dirks (for her work with her band Chic Gamine) and Western Canadian Music Award-winning songwriter Matt Schellenberg (for his work with The Liptonians). Ethereal without being ambient, electronic without sounding techno, and emotional without becoming emo, Courier News finds a near-perfect groove in which to combine the duo’s successful backgrounds into a moving and endearing collection of tracks.

The EPs first track, “We’re on the Horizon”, sets an excellent mood to which the rest of the songs follow. Schellenberg helms the lead vocals while Dirks chimes in through the background. Originally recorded in a bedroom-turned-office, the duo was unable to use actual drums (due to noise ordinances), relying heavily on drum machines until they decided that a more organic feeling was in order and recorded the sound of a beer bottle smashing against pavement to substitute for a snare drum. Reminiscent of Broken Social Scene’s more down-tempo work, “…Horizon” is hauntingly peaceful, creating a steady forward movement with a sprinkle of synthesizers to add a different level of depth that compliments the glass-bottle snare drum perfectly. Moving into the second track, “Roses on the Wall”, glass bottles are once again utilized for background atmosphere to a more emotional song with vocals that are nimbly smeared behind acoustic melody. “Empty Clouds” might be the most powerful track on Fixtures, especially with an opening line like “What’s there to say when there’s nothing left, just clouds white on an empty breath.” Dirks’ mellow vocal style fits this song perfectly. Various vocoded background vocals lead seamlessly into a subtle electronic melody that sounds like a synth-blues fusion of epic minimalism. “Lovers” has more energy than any other track on this EP, but does not sound overbearing or muddled in its production. This track’s electronic melody is what jj n° 3 should have been. Dirks belts out the rhetorical ‘”Do I Dare” to poignantly close an EP that satisfies from beginning to end.

It’s difficult to make a down-tempo album without moments of drawn-out ambiance. Courier News manages to stay chilled-out while perpetually leading the audience into their own haunted world. After a few listens it is already addicting, both technically and aesthetically.

RIYL: Broken Social Scene, jj, Mates of State, The New Pornographers, Metric, Ladytron, Client, The Knife, Fischerspooner, Miss Kittin, Robots in Disguise, Goldfrapp, Electrocute, Freezepop, The Presets

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Courier News – Empty Clouds

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Courier News – Do I Dare

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Courier News – We’re on the Horizon

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Head in the Sand Records

BUY

The post Courier News’ Fixtures appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.